I had a change of job. As these things often do, it meant a different destination on our wonderful rail network. It also meant a change of trains at Central. It was like returning to an old routine, because I used to do that change & head down the North Shore line a few years back. For some reason, what I had thought a quite horrid rush to connect (as you do when you change platforms) became a simple sheep-like meander through the bowels of Central with a crowd of mostly sleepy travellers who've been doing this routine for quite some time - I even recognised some from before!
To me, though, it was all new (again). In fact, this was the third time in three years that I would be changing for the North Shore line, oddly, & each time it's been just for a few months. This would be the shortest journey, though - only as far as North Sydney. That, in itself, makes you wonder if it's worth it to get the book out again, or even take a seat.
On the way home, I feel as if the journey is so short that I've barely got time to work out what time my connecting train is. This makes that little ride from North Sydney to Central - which is easily ten minutes - seem like an insignificant addition to my "real" journey home from Central.
It's not really peaceful. It's not stressful, either. The wait time is in the range of a few minutes between trains either way in peak hour. It's just something that fills the space between leaving the office & getting on the train home. It's the equivalent of walking for ten minutes to Central (which I've also done before).
Now, if only all public transport would make you feel that degree of freedom from the concerns of the world. If you could arrive at your departure point (bus stop or station) & just know that the bus/train would always be there within a short while, would take about the same amount of time to get you where you want to go, & you were secure in the knowledge that, once the process had started, there was nothing you could do to change the outcome.
That, to me, is the best attitude for public transport. All I have to do now is extend that feeling that the Central/North Sydney run gives me into the rest of my journey.
